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CPS Provides Additional $5.7 Million to Schools with Declining Enrollment

District’s Program Support Will Be Used to Minimize Additional Teacher Layoffs, Help Protect Classrooms and Continue CPS’ Academic Gains

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, September 26, 2016

For more information, contact:
CPS Office of Communications
Phone: 773-553-1620

CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools announced today that the District will be providing some schools that experienced steeper than expected enrollment drops with an additional $5.7 million in program support to help protect classroom learning and continue the remarkable academic gains that students across every neighborhood are making. Today’s additional program support comes on top of program support distributed earlier this fall, and schools can continue to appeal for additional program support so that they can meet students’ critical academic needs.

“Bringing more stability to CPS is a key priority, which is why we’ve worked hard to avert a strike by offering teachers the most generous raise we can afford under our fiscal constraints, and make sure the world knows about Chicago students’ remarkable academic achievements,” CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said. “Even with declining enrollment, we know that every dollar matters, and we will continue to work with our school principals to help protect classrooms and minimize the impact of having fewer students in schools. Chicago students are doing better than they ever have, and it’s our mission to help them build on their gains.”

CPS is rolling out the initial additional investments to school principals today, in conjunction with annual 10th day enrollment adjustments, but the funding appeals process will continue and focus on meeting critical academic programming needs.

Overall, preliminary 10th day enrollment rates show a 13,804-student decline in the District’s total enrollment from last year. The preliminary enrollment rates are:

System-wide CPS for School Year 2016-17: 378,481

CPS-run K-12 schools: 294,967

K-12 charter schools: 54,889

Enrollment numbers for pre-K programs and contract/ALOP schools will be released after the 20th day of school.

Based on enrollment changes at the individual school level, 195 schools will gain $20 million in funding and 306 schools will see reductions of $44.9 million in funding. The $5.7 million in program support was distributed to 55 schools based on a process that evaluated whether schools had significantly steeper than expected declines or whether their enrollment declines would prevent them from offering critical academic programming.

Without the additional $5.7 million in aid distributed today, District-run schools would have seen a net drop in funding of $30.7 million. Instead, their net funding change is a reduction of $24.9 million. The District estimates that this change could lead to approximately 300 layoffs, including both teachers and support staff, and the District will work with schools to minimize staffing changes and distribute additional program support as needed.

Staff who are impacted by the steeper-than-expected enrollment declines will receive notices on the 20th day of school, as required by statute. The District’s overall enrollment will also be finalized using enrollment from the 20th day of school, which is Oct. 3.

CPS will assist affected teachers in finding new permanent roles in other schools. In the meantime, all affected teachers will move to the District’s substitute teaching cadre, where they will be guaranteed work every day, continue to receive their benefits and be paid the District’s highest substitute pay rate.

CPS will also provide a school-by-school spreadsheet of adjusted funding for District-run schools, after principals receive and reconcile their budgets.

After the 20th day of school, CPS will provide a detailed breakdown of enrollment throughout the District and reconcile charter schools’ enrollment counts.

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Chicago Public Schools is the third largest school district in the United States with more than 600 schools and serves 371,000 children. Our vision is that every student in every neighborhood will be engaged in a rigorous, well-rounded instructional program and will graduate prepared for success in college, career and life.